Kind of a dumb question, but I'm new
Y'all were so gracious to help me with my last question, so here goes #2. The only thing I have on my truck right now is a hitch cover. Therefore, I need to get a hitch, weight distribution, sway ...
Forum Discussion
What truck do you have?
You do need to get a hitch. There is no reason to "match" a hitch to a trailer, this is non-sense. The only reason to match would be if you were to get a really heavy trailer and need a heavy-duty hitch, but unlikely, and that's why I say non-sense.
Class III (3) are what typically comes on a truck, or what is typically installed and will work for most all tt's out there. Look at the class V hitches as they are the most robust and really not that much more expensive.
Get your hitch from U-Haul. Yes, really. If you are having to pay someone to do it then U-Haul offers really good prices. They are in business to rent trailers, not sell hitches, so more important that you have a hitch so you can rent their trailers, which is their business...
Or
Etrailer.com has great prices on hitches if you will install yourself. Shipping is cheap/free.
You can check rockauto.com also as their auto parts prices are amazing.
Check craigslist for used hitches, that is the cheapest, but again, you will be installing yourself. Self-install is sometimes really easy, but sometimes can be harder work, just depends on the truck.
Check ebay.
Wait to get the WD hitch until you have the trailer. Some compatibility issues might arise. You will need a shank and ball so you can tow, but having a ball that is not part of the clumsy WD hitch is quite useful if you ever need to tow something else, so is a good investment, again, check for used ones. Probably lots in your area...
If your truck has auto adjusting air bag suspension then the WD hitch is not needed to "level" the truck, but WD is good for spreading the weight to the front axle, so still can be considered. For a heavy trailer then a WD hitch is good, but for a lighter trailer it might not be needed at all. You will know as soon as the trailer is dropped on the hitch.
Wait until you actually do a tow before considering sway control. You do not always need sway control as many trailers do not sway. Just having the WD system is sometimes enough of a friction resistance to limit sway, but some trailers/drivers/trucks just do not sway. Why spend money for something you do not need just because some forum guys panic.
Sway can arise from improperly loaded trailers. Too much weight behind the trailer axle can cause sway, so proper loading should be followed.
You do need to get a hitch. There is no reason to "match" a hitch to a trailer, this is non-sense. The only reason to match would be if you were to get a really heavy trailer and need a heavy-duty hitch, but unlikely, and that's why I say non-sense.
Class III (3) are what typically comes on a truck, or what is typically installed and will work for most all tt's out there. Look at the class V hitches as they are the most robust and really not that much more expensive.
Get your hitch from U-Haul. Yes, really. If you are having to pay someone to do it then U-Haul offers really good prices. They are in business to rent trailers, not sell hitches, so more important that you have a hitch so you can rent their trailers, which is their business...
Or
Etrailer.com has great prices on hitches if you will install yourself. Shipping is cheap/free.
You can check rockauto.com also as their auto parts prices are amazing.
Check craigslist for used hitches, that is the cheapest, but again, you will be installing yourself. Self-install is sometimes really easy, but sometimes can be harder work, just depends on the truck.
Check ebay.
Wait to get the WD hitch until you have the trailer. Some compatibility issues might arise. You will need a shank and ball so you can tow, but having a ball that is not part of the clumsy WD hitch is quite useful if you ever need to tow something else, so is a good investment, again, check for used ones. Probably lots in your area...
If your truck has auto adjusting air bag suspension then the WD hitch is not needed to "level" the truck, but WD is good for spreading the weight to the front axle, so still can be considered. For a heavy trailer then a WD hitch is good, but for a lighter trailer it might not be needed at all. You will know as soon as the trailer is dropped on the hitch.
Wait until you actually do a tow before considering sway control. You do not always need sway control as many trailers do not sway. Just having the WD system is sometimes enough of a friction resistance to limit sway, but some trailers/drivers/trucks just do not sway. Why spend money for something you do not need just because some forum guys panic.
Sway can arise from improperly loaded trailers. Too much weight behind the trailer axle can cause sway, so proper loading should be followed.
